For Valentino, a love for fashion and styling came naturally — content creation, on the other hand, came to him serendipitously. He didn’t set out to become a successful content creator, but after posting a styling video on a whim and amassing one million views, he figured he’d stick with it.

Now, Valentino creates playful fashion content daily, showcasing his experimental style that often defies styling norms. Valentino embraces bold statements, and that's precisely the vibe he brought to his Levi’s® looks during a Day in the Life with Hypebeast. Watch as the young creative starts his day sporting a cream-on-cream outfit that adds shape with his trousers and an artful twist with his graphic tee. A leather jacket pulls the look together for evening meetups with friends for a bite to eat.



Continue reading to get a look behind the scenes of Levi’s and Hypebeast’s Day in the Life with Valentino.

What first got you interested in fashion — did you always gravitate towards clothing as a form of self-expression from a young age?



My older brother played a big role in how I got into fashion. I was big into basketball and stuff like that, so I was always wearing athletic wear. But my brother was always into Korean fashion and K-pop. So he got me into the things he was wearing and that's how I got into different fashion inspiration.



What inspired you to get into content creation?



I didn't even really want to do it for real. I just literally started posting as a joke. I had this mic that I bought just to mess around with people on the streets, like street interviews. But I never did it. The mic was collecting dust in my house, and I had seen a friend post a fashion video, so I thought, let me just record a video too. I edited it, chopped it up, and it got a million views. That was the first video I posted and then I just kept going from there.



How does your current city setting of NYC impact your personal style and creative outlook?



I was born and raised in New York. I feel like the street style over here is probably the most diverse in the world. I'd say Paris, Milan, and Japan are up there, but I don't know, there's just something about New York, man. I feel like you could literally wear whatever you want and no one's gonna say anything.

How do your friends and the people you surround yourself with also impact your creative influences?



A lot of the people that I surround myself with are also in the fashion game and they all have a huge influence on what I wear. I learn a lot from all of them, especially my friend Matthias.



How would you describe your personal style?



It's definitely versatile. I like to wear a lot of different stuff. Sometimes I'm having a comfortable day and I'll just throw on sweats, but I do like to wear a lot of different things when I’m out and about. I'm heavy into designer now and I feel like my style is shifting into that more elevated lane.



As someone who is both a content creator and model, how do you maximize your fashion choices to cater to your busy lifestyle?



I have a very busy life. A lot of people hate on me because I cancel plans a lot, but I love getting to do what I do and it keeps me busy. I think my versatile style comes from that busy lifestyle.

Do you feel like you would approach styling someone else a lot differently than styling yourself?



I definitely want to get more into styling. I feel like I have a very distinct style now. People call me the Layer King or accessory boy. So I feel like if I were styling someone, it'd be heavy on the jewelry and heavy on the layering. And if someone saw it, they'd be like, 'Oh, Valentino styled this.'



Who are some of your style role models or fashion influences?



I watch a lot of basketball, so now that the fashion world is clicking with everything, I look to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander a lot. He's probably my biggest inspiration to this day. But I also look at A$AP Rocky and Yachty for a lot of style inspiration too.



For this shoot, you chose to style women’s jeans. Do you often defy styling norms or expectations when building signature looks for yourself?



I'm big time into flare and big, wide jeans. The women's section is something I turned to starting last year. Matthias actually told me to start shopping in the women's section and it's a good tip. In a lot of big-time stores, their women's section is so much better than the men's. The measurements and proportions are way better.

What are your favorite ways to wear and style versatile Levi’s garments from day to night?



I really love a cardigan, so any look with that is for me — I like to add a lot of layers to my looks and it can change up an outfit from day to night. I like to wear colors during the day and then I'll switch my outfit a lot through the day depending on what I have going on later. I'm big on colors and experimenting, so I tried to incorporate that into the outfits I wore today.



Do you have a favorite look or a favorite piece that you wore today?



The women's Baggy Dad jeans — a hundred percent.

Check out the Levi’s pieces Valentino was styled in on Levis.com.

Read more at Hypebeast